France qualified for the semi-finals of Euro 2024 after a thrilling penalty shootout win over Portugal (0-0, 5-3). The Blues relied on the imperial Mike Maignan and William Saliba, when Kylian Mbappé struggled. Blues Diaries.
Mike Minyan: 8 ⭐
Blues' barricade. Two great saves: a strong hand on a shot from Bruno Fernandes (60) and a reaction against Vitinha (63). Concentration at all times until the end of extra time, except for a split second on a failed check that led to an unimportant corner (15th).
Jules Koundé: 5
A contrasting match. His rise has been interesting even if he has been too cautious at times. Some good positions. But the defensive withdrawals against Leao have been complicated. He has been beaten several times in speed and vitality in the duels against Milan.
>>> Relive the France vs Portugal match in our live text
Dayot Upamecano: 6
Another good game. His duo with Saliba is still very strong. Some small shifts in focus. But always present in the duels. His counter attack against Leao in the box in extra time was decisive. Some good penetrations to try to launch an attack.
William Saliba: 7
His progress is consistent in this Euro. Always more confident. Good positioning, interceptions, ball protection, one-touch restarts, presence in aerial play. He does almost everything well. Doesn't matter who it is, including Cristiano Ronaldo. He's still about to be punished at the end of the game for that foul on Conceicao.
Theo Hernandez: 6
Precious in his left lane. He always offers attacking solutions. He combines well with Mbappé and Kante in particular. Not far from the goal with his very good shot on goal in the 16th minute. Below score in the second period.
Aurelien Tchouameni: 6
Another good performance in midfield. He managed to link defence and attack. Good direction of the game is a pleasure. Good anticipation in positioning which allowed him to win back many balls.
N'Golo Kante: 5
A fairly neutral game. Neither good nor bad. He wasn't always found between the lines but made an effort to stay in good positions.
Eduardo Camavinga: 6
Took a while to get into his game. Good tackles like his comeback to Vitinha's feet in the 49th minute or Leao (59).
Antoine Griezmann: 4
A bit like these last games. Was interesting with the ball. Wasn't effective enough offensively. Was replaced (67) by Ousmane Dembele, who had a good start. The only player who created danger in the Portuguese defence.
Randall Kolo Mwani: 6
Karim in all defensive efforts and withdrawals. His shot from close range was blocked and deserved another fate (66). He was replaced (86) by Marcus Thuram, very alone and rarely accurate.
Kylian Mbappe: 3 ❌
Far from the level we are used to in these big games at the Blues. A slight difference. His mask bothers him, that's for sure but that doesn't explain everything. He ended up on his knees. Bradley Barcola took his place for the last 15 minutes of extra time.
